Following Jesus Is A Commitment

Luke 9:57-62, “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The operative word here is Follow; the subject is following Jesus. Many times Jesus called people to follow Him. In fact, all twelve of the Apostles were called to follow Jesus. The word Jesus used was the word “akoloutheō,” which in the present imperative, implies an ongoing command, a lifetime commitment to follow Him.

However, modern evangelism would have us believe that becoming a Christian is a matter of a feeling, an emotion in a moment, that is the result of some kind of plea in preaching, saying a prayer and making a decision rather than a carefully thought out, well understood, lifetime commitment of following Jesus.

Following Jesus is not a momentary decision following an emotional event. It is a commitment to abandon the rest of your life, and follow Christ. Jesus invited people to follow Him by saying “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself.”

The word “deny” as Jesus used it, means to refuse to associate any longer with the person that you presently are. And once you’ve reached the point of self-loathing, despising the sinner that you are, abandoning yourself completely, you’re ready to embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in unwavering loyalty and devotion. The terms and conditions of salvation are set by our Lord Himself.

Many profess to be Christians, yet continue to follow their own lustful desires, their own ambitions, their own goals and objectives demonstrating the unwillingness to “deny” themselves. According to Jesus’ words these are not true Christians. In other words, if you are what you were before Christ, one thing you are not is a Christian.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

Today is the day of salvation, repent of your sinful wicked ways and beg for mercy and seek forgiveness and receive Jesus Christ under any conditions that He might ask for. Lest the barrier of sin and self-denial and taking up your cross keep you from entering His kingdom.

Brian Monzón grew up attending church with his grandmother. Through her actions, she impressed upon him the power of the prayers of the righteous, as she herself spent many hours kneeling before God, praying for her family and the needs of others. Besides being a pastor, Brian has been studying and teaching the Word of God for many years. He has devoted his life to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, praying with and for others, especially the unsaved. Brian is also a proud father of four children. He challenges them to be their best and has strived to raise his family up in church and on the Word of God. To discover more about Brian and his ministry visit Brian Monzón Ministries.

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